Over this weekend we become aware through social media, that very long serving and experienced Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Association team member Roger Jones MBE had sadly passed away.

We in Bolton MRT join our colleagues nationally in mountain rescue in expressing our condolences to the family of Roger, his fellow team mates past and new, his friends and colleagues.

For those associated with Bolton MRT, past members and some still current members in the team, we perhaps knew Roger best from National Mountain Rescue Conferences and National meetings over the years, and for some of our members from occasional joint incidents we have attended in the past whilst in the Ogwen Valley area, or from staying in the bunkhouse at the rear of OVMROs Bryn Poeth Base / HQ – where we had occasion to meet Roger.

The below obituary is from the website and Facebook pages of Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue organisation;

Roger Jones MBE and Jill Jones

It is with great sadness that we must announce that Roger Jones MBE passed away on the morning of Thursday 10 March 2016.

Roger was one of the founding members of OVMRO when it began operating out of Ogwen Cottage, and was a team member for 51 years. Having always lived in the Ogwen area, Roger became involved with mountain rescue through the Scout movement, when his father was Gwynedd Area County Commissioner. He joined the Scout outdoor activities centre at Yr Hafod in 1959, and was employed as a mechanical engineer at Bangor University.

During his time as a team member Roger gained something of a reputation for being clearly spoken, and was affectionately known as “Jones the Voice” following an incident where he was able to communicate with founding member Ron James that he needed to turn his radio on, when all others voices had failed.

Roger was a team leader with OVMRO from 1966. At the end of his tenure as a team leader, in 2010, the team was delighted that Roger was awarded an MBE for services to mountain rescue. In his usual way, as a team-player, Roger stated that the award was really for the Team rather than an individual.

Roger served on the Team Committee or as a co-opted officer for 50 years. He was elected as a Committee member in 1966 and served as Treasurer from 1972 to 1975. He was Chairman in 1990, and it was during this time that the first major renovation of Bryn Poeth occurred, his vision, along with others, transformed the Team into the semi professional organisation it is today.

He was co-opted as the team’s Transport Officer in 1995, and held this position until the time of his death. He was instrumental in the purchase of new vehicles for the team, and ensuring they were always ready to transport members and casualties both locally and more recently on callouts to flooded areas such as York and Cumbria.

Roger had a great interest in international rescue too, and attended the ICAR (International Commission for Alpine Rescue) conference on numerous occasions. He always extolled the benefits of networking at the conference, and continually encouraged other members to attend, he regarded the conference as a wonderful jolly and a hoot!

With such a wealth of experience, Roger always had lots of stories to tell. Everyone who met Roger will have enjoyed listening to his tales of the many rescues he took part in. Not only was he able to offer advice and words of wisdom, he was always encouraging new developments within the team, such as the Ogwen Stretcher, and he was always keen to encourage the younger generation.

Roger’s family, his wife Jill, two daughters Claire and Heather, and his son Geraint always supported his rescue activities, Geraint became a full team member in 2007 after spending a lot of time at base with his dad.

It was only fitting that the “Joe Hero award” at the team’s 50th Anniversary dinner in 2015 was presented to Jill in recognition of all the support that family members give to team members.

As Roger said during an interview for the team’s 50th Anniversary book “If I hadn’t enjoyed doing it, I’d have stopped doing it”. A great many people over the past 51 years will have been grateful that Roger enjoyed mountaineering and mountain rescue activities. He will be greatly missed by everyone who knew him.

The service to celebrate Roger’s life will be held at:
Bangor Crematorium, 11:00 on Thursday 24 March 2016

Thereafter the celebration will continue at:
Tyn-y-Coed Inn, Capel Curig

Family flowers only, however all donations will go to: Alaw Ward, Ysbyty Gwynedd and the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation.